Hurricane Katrina has exacerbated problems of environmental injustice and food insecurity in the Lower 9th Ward. Community leaders are attempting to address these issues through environmental restoration and community gardening projects, which could benefit public health by increasing access to healthy food and storm protection. Combining the environmental restoration and food security movements could increase the effectiveness of both by sharing resources, enlarging networks, and addressing multiple health concerns at once. Restoration of the Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle, a local wetland, provides a case study of merging these two movements. The Lower 9th Ward has a history of direct food acquisition from the local environment, and a tradition of community activism. These characteristics have the potential to reconcile the immediate food security needs of the community with the long-term goals of environmental restoration. Using community-based participatory research, this article examines whether food security has a role in promoting community awareness and support for environmental restoration.
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